Narrow Door……….Summary

“Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.   Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

“Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

“But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’   Luke 13:23-27 NIV

The narrow door that Jesus speaks about is open to everyone.

However, it’s not easy to get through this door.

Everyone has to squeeze through the door to get rid of the excess baggage; they have to get rid of anything that might get them stuck.

 

Jesus’ point is that getting through the door is not easy and it takes every effort to get through.  Sadly, it’s not for everyone.  If it were easy, then everyone would do it. Not everyone is willing to make the effort to get through the narrow door.

 

You and I very easily can become complacent, indifferent, careless, or lazy. Without being fully aware of what we’re doing we can become too big to enter through the narrow door.

 

We have to ask ourselves whether or not we are making every effort to get through the narrow door.

Do we fully understand what it takes to enter through the narrow door? 

 

Are we ready to use any and all means necessary to enter the house of God?

 

Before you can enter through the narrow door you must know what is dragging you down and getting you stuck.

 

If your pride makes you stand too tall, then you have to duck.

 

If your self-indulgence makes you too wide, then you have to lose the excess.

 

If your filthy rags get caught on the way through, then you have to throw them off.

 

When you see what is wrong, then you get rid of it by repentance.

 

Jesus said to “make every effort,” to agonize, to struggle to enter through the narrow door. 

Tragically, some will refuse to recognize their sin. They will keep the extra baggage until they find a door through which they fit.

 

 There is only one door and the way is narrow.

The only way is through the door is a life of true repentance.

Seeing sin for what it is only the first step.  A sorrow that leads to true repentance follows quickly thereafter.

 

Then you will have a genuine concern for getting through the narrow door and a heartfelt desire to throw off whatever hinders you.

The next step is your faithful plea to God to take that sin away. That is true repentance; falling to your knees before your Lord in willing obedience.

Forgiveness is now yours not because you deserved it, but because Jesus gave it to you.

 

Because of Jesus the narrow door to heaven is open, but it will not stay open forever. Jesus’ plea is earnest because once the owner of the house gets up and shuts the door it will not be opened again.

 

The time is now to enter through the narrow door. Jesus said to the stubborn and obstinate, “You will stand outside knocking and pleading, “Sir, open the door for us.”  “But he will answer, “I don’t know you or where you come from”” (vs. 25).

 

To a hard heart and stubborn sinner God may remove His grace. Ultimately this will happen on the Last Day when all unbelievers are shut out.

From the outside they will plead their case. They will say,

“We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets”

(vs. 26).

God knows who they really are. God will know that His Word was among them but they wanted nothing to do with it. God will reply, “I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!” (vs. 27).

This will be the consequence for the many that tried but didn’t make every effort. This will be the consequence for the many who knew who Jesus was but didn’t want to follow.

Their consequence will be great. It will be true misery.

By faith and through repentance we will enter through the narrow door.

Don’t be on the outside looking in. Live a life of repentance to enter through the narrow door.  Let the Word of God be your lifelong guide both to show you your sin and to show you your Savior.

Secure yourself in the house by any and all means necessary. Enter through the narrow door.

Make every effort you can before the door is closed.